Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention generally relates to armored vehicles
of the type employed for military or law enforcement
activities, and deals more particularly with a six-wheel
vehicle having an improved hull construction.
This is a division of copending Canadian Patent
Application serial number 382,648, filed on July 28, 1981.
Armored personnel carriers of the type employing rubber
tires, as distinguished from track-laying vehicles, have been
produced in several countries for many years. Such vehicles
include the "MOWAG" which is manufactured in Switzerland and
the "COMMANDO" which is manufactured by the Cadillac Gage
Company in the United States. See "Encyclopedia of Armored
Cars and Half-Tracks", published by Chartwell Books, Inc.
of Secaucus, New Jersey, pages 120 and 130. One such carrier
is a four-wheel vehicle having a unitized hull constructed
of light, high-hardness steel and displacing sufficient volume
to float. Driven by its own cleatedi^tires, the vehicle is
capable of maneuvering in la~es and streams at low speeds.
The engine is located to the rear of the hull and gas tanks
and other equipment are located near the front.
Six-wheel type armored vehicles, àlso currently
manufactured in several countries, are advantageous in that
an extra set of wheels disposed intermediate the front and
rear wheels provide added traction, added stability and
maneuverability in driving over uneven terrain and obstacles.
Previous six-wheel type armored vehicles suffer from one
or more disadvantages however. For example, the extra set
of wheels disposed between the front and rear wheels
complicates the task of laying out the interior of the hull;.
The engine must be placed at a location which provides optimum
height distribution on the wheels, however, the choice of
engine placement is severely limited by the overall hull
design and the necessity for locating the driver in an
optimum driving position, as well as the need for accommodating
power plant items such as fuel tanks, cooling systems and
drive trains. In the past, these objectives have been
~chieved only at the expense of reducing the amount of usuable
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interior space within the hull which is devoted to tr,ansporfing
personnel and their e~uipment.
According to the present invention there is
provided a multi-axle armored vehicle including a unitized
hull constructed from armor plate and exhibiting ballisticall~-
resistant, oblique surfaces over substantially ~he entirety
thereof, the hull including a box-like personnel-carrying
body portion and an integral, forwardly, inwardly tapering
wedge-shape nose portion. Front axle means is provided in
the area of the nose portion and first and second parallel
rear axle means is provided in the area of the body portion
Suspension means mounts the front axle means to the hull.
Each of the front rear axles include a pair o~ transversly
spaced wheels. An engine is drivingly connected to at least
one of the axles for powering the vehicle, the engine being
di;posed substantial3y within the nose of the hull and laterall~
from a longitudinal center line of the hull. A drive~ station
is spaced laterally from the engine and within the nose of
the hull. The hull is provided wi~h a plurality of wheel
wells therein above the wheelsO The suspension means includes
a pair of transversely spaced supporting arms respectively
associated with each of the axles and having one end thereof
secured to the corresponding axle, the opposite end of each
of the supporting arms being pivotally connected to the hull
at a location forward of the corresponding axle. A ~irst
pair of telescoping shock absorbing assemblies is provided,
each having one end thereof pivotally connected to the ~xle
associated with the front set of wheel assemblies, the opposite
end thereof being pivotall~ connected to the hull at a location
substantially vertically aligned above the one end thereof
such that the longitudinal axis of each of the pair of shock
absorbing assemblies extends substantially vertical. A second
pair of telescoping shock absorbing assemblies is provided
each having one end thereof pivotally connected to the axle
associated with the rear set of wheel assembles, the opposite
end of each of the last named shock absorbing assemblies
being pivotally connected to a hull at a location above the
associated axle and forward of the associate axle.
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In a specific ernhodiment, each of the first
and second parallel rear axle rneans has a power t~ansf~r
differential, a drive shaft, and a pair of drive a~les ~1ith
housing means for the di~ferentials. The drive shafts and
drive axles include first and second pairs o~ a~le sleeves,
the first and second pairs of axle sleeves each naving a
pair of outboard ends. As indicated above, the suspension
means including the pair of trailing swing arms on each side
of the hull, each of the trailing swing arms being connected
lQ at one end to one of the outboard ends of one of the axle
sleeves. Means is provided for pivotally connecting the
opposite ends of each of the trailing swing arms to the hull
for swinging movement in a vertical plane. Spring means
is provided for suspending the hull on each of the trailing
spring arms, and vehicle wheels are connected to each of
the trailing swing arms for concurrent vertical planar movement
whereby wheel suspension movements are maintained in a limited
transverse space outboard of the vehicle hull. The spring
means includes the second pair of telescoping shock absorbers
and a coil spring surrounding each of the shock absorbers
having its opposite end supported by opposite ends of the
shock absorbers. The opposite ends of the shock absorbers
- are connected at axially offset and vertical spaced points
on the hull and the trailing arm so that the shock absorbers
and coil springs extend obliquely from the wheel assemblies
toward the front end to reduce the vertical height of the
wheel well occupied by the spring means. An engine is selectively
drivingly connected to the drive shafts for powering the
vehicle, the engine being disposed substantially within the
nose of the hull and laterally from a longitudinal center
line of the hull. The hull is provided with the plurality
of wheel wells therein above the vehicle wheels and which
have a transverse width slightly wider than the tread width
of each vehicle wheel. The first pair of telescoping shock
absorbers is provided which each have one end thereof pivotally
connected to the front axle means, the opposite end thereof
being pivotally connected to the hull at a location substantially
vertically aligned above the one end -thereof such -that the
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longitudinal axis of each of the first pair of shock ab30rb~rs
extends s~bstantially vertically. Each of the second pair
of telescopic shock absorbers have one end thereof pivotally
connected to the axle sleeves associated with the rear set
of vehicle wheel means, the opposite end of each of the las~
named shock absorbers being pivotally connected to the hull
at a location above the associate axle sleeves and forward
of the hull position of the axle sleeve connected thereto.
A stabilizer member is associated with each of the second
pair of shock absorbers having opposite ends thereof pivotally
connected to the hull at a location below the last mentioned
pivotally connected hull location so that the stabilizer
member has its longitudinal axis generally parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the shock absorber to efficiently utilize
wheel well space occupied by the spring means at ihe rear
set of the vehicle wheel means.
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These and further features of the inventisn -,7ill ~e
made clear or will become apparent during the course of
the following description.
Description of the Drawings
.
In the drawings, which form an integral part of the
specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith,
and in which like components are designated by identical
reference numerals in the various views:
FIGURE 1 iS a front perspective view of the six-wheel
armored vehicle which forms the preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the vehicle of FIGURE 1,
parts of the hull being broken away to reveal the interior
thereof;
FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3
in FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4
in FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5
in FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6
in FIGURE 2;
FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, rear perspective view of
the vehicle shown in FIGURE l;
FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of the vehicle of
FIGURE 1, certain wheel and suspension componénts thereof
having been removed for purposes of clarity;
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FIGURE 9 is a fragme~ary, perspective ~iew
of certain components of the.suspension system for the
rear wheels of ~he vehicle shown in FIGUR~ he
remaining comp~nents having been removed;
FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary, perspective Yiew
of the suspension system for one of the front wheels
o~ the vehicle shown in FI&URE l; and,
FIGURE 11 is a seetional view taken ~lona
the line 11-11 in FIGURE 2.
Best Mode For Carrying Out t e In~en~ion
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Referrins to the drawings, a swLmmabie SIX-
wheel armored vehicle, generallv designated by the
numeral 10l includes a vehicle hull 12 defined by a
pair of laterally spaced sides 14, a ~ront end 16, a
rear end 18, a horizontally extending top 22, and a
bottom 20 joined together to form an enclosed in-
terior space. The hull 12 i5 preferably formed of
high hardness armor pla~es joined toge~her by welding.
Ballistic pr~tection is provided by designing th~
hull 12 to present an oblique surface to small arms
fire from nearly.all direc~ions, such obli~ui~y
being effecti~e ~o greatly enhance the effec~ive
penetration resistance of the armor plate in all
critical areas.
Each lateral side 14 Lncludes an upper
sloping surface 24 and a lowex sloping surface 26
joined together ~iong a marginal edge 28. Upper
sloping surface 24 is provided wi~h a plurality o~
longitudin~lly spaced viewin~ ports 44, each con-
taining a- window of thick ballistic resistan~ glass,
a plurality of closable weapon aper~ures or "pistol
ports" 46, and shielded vents 48. Ports 4S and ~ents
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48 are preferably ab~ve the expected water line during
swimming operation.s. The lower sloping sides 26 are
interrupted at the belt line 28 to d~fine ~ront and
rear wheel wells 42. As best shown in FIGURE 2, ~he
S vertical surfaces of the front wheel w211 interiors
are inwardly sloping ~o llow c~earance for the .turn-
iny wheels whereas the rear well interiors are SUD-
stantially flatn A11 other surfaces of lower sides
2Ç are su~stantially inwardly sloped for ballistic
resistance and protectioR of the occupan~s of ~h~
vehicle.
As indicated previously, the top 22 of ~he
hull 12 is flat and extPnds esse~tially hoxizon~al~
: Al~hough forming no part of the present inYentiont a
15 gun turret 22 may be mounted on a rotatable turret
base 23 on the top 22 if desired. -As will be under-
stood by those skilled in the art, a basket depends
from the tl~r~et into the cent~al portion of hull 12.
The ~ront 16 of the hull 12 incl~des a unique ~e~e~d
nose defined by a long upper sloping surface 36 and a
lower sloping surface 38, b~th of which are quite
obli~ue to a vertical plane; i.e., surfa~e 36 is
about 70 from vertical and s~rface 38 is abou~ 45
from vertical. The ront end 16 fur~her includes a
pair of inwardly tapering sides defined by an upper,
triangularly shaped sloping surface 30 and a lower
sloping surfa~e 32 joined along welded joint 34.
This extreme wedge shape for the nose of vehicle 10
creates several ad~antages. First, outstanding bal
listic protection to ground le~el small arms fire,
especially ~n the area of the dri~er. Secona, the
ability for the ~ehicle to "cam" itself over verti-
cal obstacles such as dirt ba~ks and walls~ Thir~,
a s~reamlined shape for impro~ed speed due to reduced
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drag in both air and water~ Fourth, improved steering
capability in water due to ~he exposure of front wheels
which can act A S rudders or deflectors~
A pair of transYersely spaced, protectively
enclosed headlight assemblies 92 are secured to the
forward of sloping surface 36. The front end 16 is
further pro~ided with a driver's hatch 86 in one upper
corner of the sloping surfa~e 36~
As b~st seen in FIGURES 7 and 8, the rear end
18 of the hull 12 slopes downwardly and forwardl~ to
form an overhang, and iacludes a door openi~g 40 which
may be closed by a hinged, double panel.door (not shown~
mounted on hull 12. Rear portions of the lateral sides
14 and bottom 20 defining the door opening 40 are of
a double wall construction and include an outer, armored
wall 50, and an inner wall 52 spaced from the outer
w211 50 to define a plural~ty of fuel storage cells 54,
56 and 58 respectively disposed i~ the lateral sides
14 and bottom 20 of the hull 12. The fuel s orage
cells 54, 56 and 5~ are interconnected wi~h each
o~her and with a later discussed engine 78 via a fuel
delivery line (not shown). Cells 54, 56 and 58 may
be lined i~ des ir~ .
As shown in FIGU~E 2, the vehicle 10 includes
an engine 78 dispose~ forward of the longitudinal mid-
point o~ the hull 12 and to one side of the lonyitudinal
center line of the hull 12, betwe~n ~he front wheel
assemblies 96. Engine 78 has an output shaft coupled
through a conventional ~ransmission to a transfer case
30 80 . Transfer case 8 0 is coupled via an enclosed dri~e
shaf~ 136 to a ~id-axle differential 134 of the "drive-
~hrough" ~ype, which in turn is coupled by a drive
shaft 130 surr~unded by a housing 132 to another dif-
ferential 128. Each of ~he ~ifferentials 128 and 134
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have a drive output connected by U-joints 129 to
drive axles (not shown) enclosed-within protectiYe
sleeves 118. Transfer case 80 also has an output
shaft connected with a forward differential 116 for
driving front wheel assemblies 96. Means for selec-
tively disengaging the-front axle drive and the rear
~xle drive may be provided as desired.
Engine 78 is substantially totally within
the low, sloping nose area, leaving the large volume
of the hull for other uses. The engine area may be
partitioned from the driver's st~tion g6 and other
interior areas of .he hull 12, if desired, to form a
segregated engine compar~ment. A system for cooling
the engine 12 in~ludes a heat exchanging radiator 76
of the conventional design and an air cir~ula~ion
sys~em which comprises a fresh air inlet opening 60
in the top 20 of the hull 12, a warm air exhaust
opening 62 in ~he ~op 20 lateral~y adjacent opening
60 and conduit 70 which communicates with warm air
exhaust opening 62 and extends longitudina71y forward
to, ~nd communicates with, an exhaust air reversing
chamber ~4 de~ined within the front end 15. Chamber
94 is disposed immediately forward o engine 78.
Radiator 76 is mounted in an attitude inclined from
: 25 the horizontal and immediately beneath fresh air in-
let opening 60 and behind engine 12. Thus, cool out- . .
side air flowing through inlet opening 60 passes
through radiator 76 and forwardly past the engine
78 into chamber 94 as a result of a partial vacuum
~negative pressure) created in ~he engine compartment
by ~an 93. Chamber g4 allows ~he warm exhaust air to
turn 180 fox delivery rearwardly ~hrough exhaust air
conduit 70 ko the exhaust opening 62.
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Exhaust air conduit 70 is formed integral with one
lateral side 14 of the hull 12. More particularly, exhaust
air conduit 70 is formed by the interior surface of the
upper sloping surface 24, an inner wall 72 spaced from
sloping surface 24, a longitudinally extending bottom wall
74 and the upper sloping surface 36 of the front end 16. A
rectangularly shaped, louvered grill 64 having a longitudinally
extending partition 65 is secured to the top 20 in overlaying
relationship to the openings 60 and 62. Grill 64 includes
a first plurality of longitudinally extending, generally L-
shaped, spaced deflection members 66 disposed over the exhaust
opening 62 in order to direct warm exhaust air laterally
away from inlet opening 60 as such air emanates from the
top ~0 of the hull 12. The grill 64 further includes another
set of transversely extending, parallel, L-shaped deflection
members 68 on the inward side of partition 65 which are
disposed in overlying relationship to the fresh air opening
60. Deflection members 68 are oriented in a manner to act
as scoops for drawing fresh air flowing over the top 20 of
the hull 12 into the fresh air opening 60 for delivery past
the radiator 76 and engine 78. Both sets of deflection
: members 66 and 68 are constructed of ballistic resistant
material and are appropriately spaced apart so as to deflect
ballistic projectiles directed toward the corresponding
inlet and outlet openings 60 and 62 respectively, thereby
preventing ballistic penetration.
The above-described cooling arrangement is also
described and is claimed in above-identified parent
application serial number 382,648.
Assuming that the engine compartment is partitioned o~f
from the remaining interior of the vehicle, a hatch (not
shown) may be installed in a partition wall of the engine
compartment to place the engine compartment in air flow
communicatlon with the
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remaining area of ~he vehicle interior. In the event
that the ~ehicle interior becomes filled with smoke
or gas, opening of the hatch will result in smoke or
gas being drawn out of the ~ehicle by the negative
pressure effect of the engine ventilation system.
As shown in FIÇURE 5, a driver 90 positioned
at the driver's s~ation 86 may ~iew ~he terrain ~orward
and to the im~ediate sides of ~he vehicle 10 from a
protective posi~ion within the hull 12 using any of
the periscope viewing de~ices 82 which are positioned
to provide peripheral as well as forward ~iewing. ~s
indirated preYiously, the dri~er may also gain a view
of the terrai~ immediately ahead by raising his head
through the hatch opening 84 aft~r opening the hatch
door 86 which is pi~otally connected to the upper
slopi~g surface 3Ç. A two-position ~high-low~ seat
mounted is used for ~his purpose.
The vehicle 10 includes ~wo pairs of spaced
rear wheel assem~lies 98 each positioned ~o the rear
of the engine 78 and driver's station 8~o ~ach of ~he
wheel assemblies 98 includes a self-cleaning, run-flat
tire 99 carried on a hub 100 driven by axles (not
sh~wn) c~nnected to the preYiously men~ioned U-joints
129. Each of the axle sleeves 118 is carried by one
end o a trailing swing arm 120, the opposite end of
swing arm 120 being pivotally connected to the hull
12 at a lo~ation forward of the corresponding axie~
A stabilizer 122 has the opposite extremeties thereof
pi~otally connected to a swing arm 120 and the hull
12. A shock absorber 124 has a suspension spring 126
sleeved ~herearound and has the opposite extremities
th~reof respeçti~ely pivotally connected to the hull
12 and swing arm 120. As best seen in FIG~ES 8 and 9,
the hull 12 includes a trans~ersely extending clearance
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area 127 therein to allow pivotal motion of the wheel
axles on the corresponding wheel assemblies 98 within
the wheel wel ls 42, as is diagrammatically shown in
FIGURE 6.
The vehicle 10 is fur~her provided with a
pair of driven, stef~rable fr~nt wheel assemblies 96,
each comprising a self-cleaning, run-flat ~ype tire
101 removably secured to a rotatable wheel hub 100.
Wheel hub 100 is mounted on a conventional steering
knuckle (no~ shown), with the steering knuckles ~f
each wheel assembly 96 being co~nected by a tie rod
102 which is controlled by st ering wheel 90 at ~he
driverls station 86. Each of ~he wheel hubs 100 is
further connec~ed by universal joint~ (not shown~
and dr~-e axles (not sho~n) to the differential 116.
The front wheel assem~lies 96 are ro~atably mounted
on one end of swing arms 104, ~he opposite end of
swing arms 104 being connected for swinging moveme~t
to the hull 12 by piYotal connec~ion 106. A stabilizer
me~er 108 has the opposite ends thereo respecti~ely
pi~otally connected to a wheel assembly 96 and the hull
12. An extensible txpe shock absorber 110 and suspen-
sion spring 112 each extend perpendicularly bet~ee~
the hull 12 and wheel assembly 96 and have the oppo-
25 site ends thereof respecti~ely co~nected bo hull 12and wheel assem~ly 96. Tn contrast, shock absor~ers
124 and ~uspension springs 126 associa~ed with rear
wheel assemblies 9 B extend obliquely from the cor
responding wheel assemblies in a direction toward the
30 front end 16 of the vehicle 10.
The hull design of the vehicle 10 provides
highly efficient u~ilization of i:nterior spat:e . and is
therefore well adapted for use in many ~ tary and
law enforcement applications~ I?or exasnple, tha broad
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expanses of uninterrupted space within the hull 12
permits the vehicle to be used as a command station
or for transporting troops. In c~ntrast to many prior
types of armo~ed vehicles in which cool air intakes
are disposed in the front of the Yehicle, similar to
con~entional automobiles, the cool air i~take, as well
as the warm air exhaust for the engi~e cooling system,
is disposed to the rear of the front end and i~ a hori-
zontal top surface of the vehicle; in ~his manner,
10 debris ~ mud, water, etc . directed toward the frorlt of
the vehicle are not apt t~ enter either of the cooli~g
system openi~gs. Moreover, openings are not pres~nt i~
the front or si~e of the vehicle which make the hull
highly vulnerable to ballistic pe~etration. The fuel
s.orage c lls formed integral with the double~walled
hull at the rear end of ~he vehicle not only pro~ide
for effecti~e space utilization but isolate ~h~ uel
from the engine and ~rom the front of the Yehicle
which is most apt to receive ballistic fire.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that the
six-wheel armored vehicle described above not only
provides for the reliable accomplishment of the objects
of the in~ention, but aOeS SO i~ a particularly effec-
tive and reliable manner. It is re ognized, of course,
that thosP skilled in the art may make various modifi-
cations or additions to the pref~rred emb~dIment chosen
to illus ~rate the in~ention with~ut departing f~rom the
spirit and scopP of the present contribution to the art.
Accordingly, it is ~o be understood that the protection
sought and to be affordPd hereby should b~ deemed t~ ex-
tend to the subject mat~er claimed and all equivalents
thereof fairly wi~hin ~he scope of the inven~ion.
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